Saucy Young Filly
by Sunoko
Summary: Once upon a time, when war surrounded them, a young princess met an evil vampire. One shot, no pairings, premanga. Edited because I hate typos.


Disclaimer: Hellsing doesn't belong to me, and I am making absolutely no profit from this. Minor spoilers for the manga up to volume five, and minor references to Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I also don't own.

That morning, Father had told her that Sir Hellsing was coming, and she was to be there. As future queen, he had said, she should know as much as she could about the mysterious agency and their ultimate weapon. She was truly puzzled by Father's strange behaviour- never before had he wanted her to meet with anyone from the War Department agencies. However, the tone of his voice brooked no argument.

She walked along the garden path, barely noticing the beautiful blossoms. Funny, really, that such beauty should still bloom in such a horrid time. She prayed that tonight the air raid sirens would stay mercifully silent- she couldn't bear another citywide blackout. The idea that those horrid Nazis were flying overhead never ceased to frighten her. Shivering slightly in the sudden wind, the young woman turned to head back to Windsor Castle. The sun had already set, and the crescent moon was peeking out from the evening sky. Her reverie was interrupted by a smooth, low voice. Suddenly, she felt a deep chill in her heart, as if someone had walked over her grave.

"Beautiful night, is it not, my Lady?" She quickly whipped out and aimed her small pistol at the dark haired stranger. Father made everyone in the family carry a gun, in case the enemy ever came. The stranger laughed. It did not comfort her in the slightest.

"Put away your gun. I mean you no harm." He held up his white-gloved hands in a gesture of surrender. She noted the writing on the gloves.

"Sir Hellsing?" she asked warily, holding the gun steady. The strange man laughed even harder.

"Not I, my Lady. He is my master, and is waiting for an audience with the king," he said. She said nothing, and did not move. "You do not trust me? Ah, how could you, I have not even told you my name. I am called Alucard by some. Lower your gun, I will not harm you."

"I do not trust you," she replied succinctly. As an afterthought, she added, "Alucard is a strange name." He smiled, and in the faint light she could see that his teeth were strangely pointed. It was almost as if he were-

"A vampire?" he said,smirking. He read her mind? How was that possible? Her thoughts started swirling, half-formed ideas coming together in her mind like a jigsaw puzzle. It was too new, too fantastic, but she had to ask.

"Alucard, was it? Answer me one question truly and I shall lower my weapon."

"As my Lady wishes."

"Why Mina Harker, all those years ago? Why the one most involved with those that sought your downfall?" He stared at her for a moment, and then he began to laugh. It was a wild, mirthless laugh, and she was frightened, but she held her ground. "Answer me, monster!"

"Ah, my young Princess, you are too quick by half! It took your father far longer to figure it out, much less point it out. Very well, you asked, I answer. Mina was brilliant and alluring, and she belonged to the one who both escaped and aided me. Besides." He suddenly appeared behind her and his hot breath tickled her ear. "One must keep one's friends close, but one's enemies closer, as the saying goes."

She shuddered, and he laughed and stepped away. The young princess lowered her gun, knowing it was useless against such a creature. She studied him for a moment, not fearing violence from him any longer. He had the power to harm her at any moment he wished; since he had not, she could only assume that he was indeed faithful to the Crown. "Not a terribly inventive name, is it? Alucard, I mean. I was under the impression that Mr. Harker had destroyed you in Transylvania."

He grinned his maniacal grin at her. "And fearless, too. I do believe you will be a good queen, my beautiful Lady. It takes far more to destroy me than a simple stab from a knife."

"You turned to dust."

"True. You know the story well."

"It was my favourite book when I was younger." This halting confession amused the monster even more.

"Indeed? Then you deserve to know the rest of the tale. Let us sit, my Lady. I do not wish to tire your pretty feet." He gestured to the stone bench picturesquely set amoung the bushes.

"Do not trouble yourself over me. I am young, and can tolerate standing. Do not be condescending towards me, even if I am royalty." She stared down at him, defiant. He sat, and he seemed to be highly amused.

"If you wish. While it is true that young Mr. Harker did destroy my body, the esteemed Doctor Van Helsing did not dispose of the ashes as he should have to eternally rid the world of me. Instead, he chose to experiment."

"Why in God's name would he do such a thing?" the young princess asked, sitting down on the bench, surprised at his words.

The vampire smiled at her. "He knew, my Lady, that I was not the only nosferatu in the world. He and his companions had only barely defeated me as it was, and he decided that the only way to fight vampires was with vampires. Rather brilliant man, really," he said, looking thoughtful. She gazed at him, and decided that asking him how he was controlled and exactly what was done to him would not be a wise choice of action. There was no sense in antagonizing such a powerful being, especially since Father or Sir Hellsing would answer her questions later. "If you are this fearless when you become Queen, my Lady, I do believe this country will regain some of its former greatness."

"Are you implying that this country is not great?" she said sharply. He laughed again. At least **he** was enjoying himself. She had the sinking suspicion that he enjoyed himself quite a bit. There was a quiet lull that followed his mirth, not peaceful, but not tense. She felt his eyes upon her, and she felt the need to speak, for in the silence, anything was possible. "You mock me, Vampire. The country will not grow under my leadership; I realize that as Queen, my duties will be mostly ceremonial. Major decisions regarding the country will be left up to Parliament. Nonetheless, I will do everything possible to restore peace and prosperity to the country, even if it is merely waving my hand at the people. Sometimes, hope is born from the ridiculous pomp and circumstance, is it not?"

"You are indeed wise, my Lady." He was smirking at her. She wanted to glare at him, but she felt that growing angry in front of him would somehow make her seem weak. There was another lull, and she mused over the conversation. He was a _vampire_, a creature of legend! But the longer she sat with him, the more she realized that it was true. He felt of death and smelled faintly of blood.

Blood…

"You don't drink the blood of hapless English pedestrians, do you?"

"Ah, haha! You speak your mind freely; it is most enjoyable. During this war, I drink the blood of my enemies." She nodded in understanding. It seemed logical, after all. She looked at him for a moment.

"And after the war?"

"Usually, it is donated medical blood that I drink." She frowned. How would they be able to get enough blood to satiate such a creature as Alucard? She stared at him. In the moonlight, his enigmatic eyes almost glowed red, matching his strange hat and coat.

"If you were not such a monster, you would be quite attractive," she said frankly.

"If you were not so royal, I would call you a saucy filly. Such frankness around me is rare," he replied.

"You realize that you just did, do you not?" She smiled a little.

"Ah, my Lady," he smirked, "this is the first time you smiled all night. Quite the transformation." He leaned in closer, and she instinctively leaned back, but whatever he was going to do was interrupted by a sharp voice.

"Servant! You will desist at once!" the man barked. She looked up, and there was Father, looking displeased. He was standing with a man she assumed was Sir Hellsing, as the vampire meekly bowed at the command. "Are you unhurt, my Lady?" Sir Hellsing asked her. She nodded.

"Sir," she asked, staring the uniformed man in the eye. "Is it true that he is the vampire Dracula from the story?"

Sir Hellsing looked at her appraisingly, and, apparently finding whatever he was searching for in her gaze, he nodded. "Yes."

She turned and gracefully curtseyed at her father, Sir Hellsing, and the vampire. "I thank you, Vampire, for your company, however unexpected it was. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to retire for the evening." She turned, ignoring the scowl on her father's face. She would hear about this in the morning, of that she was sure, but she didn't want Father to chastise her in front on Alucard. It would not do for the vampire to see her as weak. As she walked away into the castle, she could have sworn she heard the vampire saying something.

It sounded suspiciously like, "I approve."

Author's Note: Major thank you for my lovely beta, Rose Hip Tea, or Tearoses on Thank you, thank you!

Seeing as how this is my first little Hellsing ficlet, do me a favor and tell me what you thought of it! Click the review button, please?


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